2013 Films

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Saturday, 24 October 2015

Legend

I recently just started a new job in London so I had to move to a new house which didn't have any internet until yesterday. That explains my absence and the abandoning of 31 Days of Horror project.

There's a cheap knock off version
of the film Legend where the Kray brothers aren't even played by identical
twins or even by the same actor, luckily such stupidly isn't in the Brain Helgeland
film Legend as, with the help of computer wizardy, Tom Hardy plays both Kray
brothers as they rise to the top of the London criminal underworld. Reginald's
relationship with his wife also plays a strong factor in the story as the two
brothers try to gain control of London's criminal underworld.

LA Confidential writer Brain
Helgeland returns to the director's chair for the third time and crafts an
enjoyable, amusing and exciting crime thriller about the rise of the notorious Kray
twins of London.Legend is a crime film
influenced by the likes of Goodfellas, there's a cracking one shot take of
Reginald Kray walking through his club - a shot very similar to that one shot
take in Goodfellas.

Having penned the likes of LA
Confidential and Mystic River, Brian Helgeland has proven himself to be an
excellent writer. In Legend, Helgeland appears to be on fine form as, with the
assistance of Tom Hardy, he makes Reginald Kray a charismatic and likeable
figure despite his involvement in violent crime. However, the longer the film
goes on and Reginald becomes more and more like his psychotic and irrational
brother the less likeable Reginald becomes. This has an affect on the film as
the less likeable Reginald becomes and less enjoyable the film becomes too.

Like Goodfellas, Legend is also a
darkly funny film, but also like Goodfellas Helgeland arguably strays into
dangerous territory by glamorising the lifestyle of the Kray twins. Whilst
being a very violent film, you don't feel that the examination of the violence
has strong bite as it's played most for laughs, and the small amount of screen
time devoted to the wife beating aspect of Reginald; and Frances' (Emily
Browning) marriage feels as though the film to just a tad too comfortable
ignoring that aspect. That said, however, many of Scorcese's classic crime
thrillers also arguably glamorised crime, particularly Goodfellas.

Tom Hardy is superb in both
leading roles as he plays both brothers, both of whom have different
personalities ranging from more rational and calculated to irrational and
outright psychotic. Emily Browning is also excellent playing Frances, the
closest thing the film has to a moral compass, as she is able to bring a lot of
sympathy to the role.

Legend is flashy and fun, but a
little shallow, however, Tom Hardy's performance as both of the Kray twins
makes the film one worth watching.